Understand that what is not Knowledge
automatically becomes ignorance. I shall tell you some of its main signs. An
ignorant person lives for status. He eagerly awaits honour and is pleased by
felicitations. He who is stiff with pride and does not bend should be considered
as the abode of ignorance. He brags about his religious actions and makes a big
noise about his learning. He makes public announcements of his good deeds and
all his actions are for getting prominence and greatness. He deceives his
followers by external appearances by applying ash, sandal-paste etc. to the
body. Understand that such a person is a mine of ignorance. (13:656-661).

Cruelty : He whose actions make the whole world suffer, whose casual
words even prick like a spear and whose all plans are more dangerous than poison
may be considered as possessing a lot of ignorance. His life is the home of
violence. (13:662-664).

Slaves to emotions: He becomes elated by meeting his loved ones and depressed
when they depart. He feels pleased by hearing his own praise and if he hears
even slight criticism he becomes unhappy. He who cannot bear the onslaughts of
mental emotions may be considered as completely ignorant. (13:665-668).

Secretive: His talk appears to be frank outwardly but actually he is
very secretive. He shows friendship towards one but helps another. He somehow or
other maintains good relations with straightforward type of persons and wins the
minds of good people with an ultimate aim of harming them. It is a fact such a
person has ignorance. (13:669-672).

Disrespect for Guru: He is ashamed of his Guru tradition and he does not like to
serve his Guru. He learns from his Guru but is disrespectful to him. To even
utter the name of such person is like using the tongue to eat food from a Shudra
(prohibited food) but I had to do it while telling you the characteristics of
ignorance. Such a sin can be atoned by uttering the name of a Guru's devotee.
(13:673-676).

Doubts and Greed: An ignorant person who neglects his duties, has his mind
full of doubts, is impure from inside and outside. Due to greed of wealth he
does not care about whether it belongs to him or others. He is very loose
regarding women. He does not feel shame if he misses the usual time for
performing his prescribed actions or his incidental duties. He has no shame in
doing sinful deeds and no liking for righteous deeds. His mind is always full of
doubts and he always has his eyes on money. Understand that such a person is
like a statue of ignorance. (13:678-684).

Fickle-minded: He deviates from his resolves for the sake of personal
gains. He gets shaken by frightful situations. He gets engrossed in flights of
imagination. His mind gets totally lost by unpleasant news. He cannot remain
steady in one place unless he falls down otherwise he goes on wandering. Such a
person is full of ignorance. He is fickle-minded like a monkey and he does not
have the strength of determination in him. He is not afraid of doing prohibited
actions. He abandons penances halfway kicks away righteousness and does not
bother about the rules of the rituals. He does not shun sinful actions and does
not have liking for righteous actions. He tramples on the bounds of shame. He
does not bother about family traditions and about what is proper or improper.
His mind is wanders unrestrained in thoughts of sense- pleasures. (13:685-699).
Such a person is rich in ignorance. (13:702).

Passion-lover: He does not give up the desire for sense pleasures not
only while he lives but after death also and makes preparations while he lives
in order to attain heaven after death for the sake of pleasures there. He
struggles incessantly for bodily pleasures. He prefers actions where he can
fulfil his desire of enjoying the fruits thereof. He thinks it is inauspicious
to meet a dispassionate person and takes bath to clean himself. The sense
pleasures may get tired of him but he does not get tired of them. (13:703-705).
For their sake he will even jump in fire and goes around exhibiting this nature
like an ornament. (13:707).

Infatuation with family : From birth
until his death he incessantly toils for the pleasures and not minding the
troubles he loves them more and more. He is infatuated with parents during
childhood. When that is over he gets attracted during his youth to female body
and while he is busy enjoying the marital life old age approaches when he
directs that same love towards his children. Like a congenital blind person he
spends all his time with his children but he never gets tired of the
sense-pleasures until his death. There is no limit to ignorance in such a
person. Now listen to some more characteristics of ignorance.
(13:709-713).

False pride and jealousy
: He performs his duties sticking to the
I- am-the-body impression and feels disturbed if there are any shortcomings in
his performance. Proud of his youth and learning he goes around with stiff
posture and says, " I alone am great and rich. Who else is there with a behaviour
as good as mine?" He becomes stiff with the ego that there is none as great as
himself, that he knows everything and that he is popular. (13:714-717).

He is jealous of virtuous persons, proud of his
own learning and of the strength he has gained from penances and of his
knowledge. You will see him swollen by pride. He does not bend nor feel
kindness. Even virtuous persons cannot bring him to senses. I definitely tell
you that ignorance of such a person is on the increase. (13:724-727).

Forgets birth-death cycles : Arjuna,
he bothers about his household, body and wealth but not about his past and
future births. (13:728). Even when the body is infected and the nine apertures
of the body leak he does not regret the reasons due to which he has reached that
state. He was simmering in filth for nine months in the cave of mother's womb he
got but he neither remembers that discomfort nor the pains during the birth. He
does not heel nauseated by seeing babies wallowing in faeces and urine and
neither does he think about the fact that he has just finished his last lifetime
and the next lifetime is approaching. Not only that he does not worry about
death while the life progresses rapidly. He is so sure that he will continue to
live that he refuses to accept the possible existence of death.
(13:732-738).

While he is engrossed in sense-pleasures, he does
not realise that death is approaching as he continues to remain alive. He
considers only the growth of his body and the sense- pleasures as real but he
does not realise that when a prostitute offers one everything that is where his
destruction lies. (13:743-745). Engrossed in eating and sleeping he does not
realise that his destruction lies in those very same things. As time passes the
body grows so does the indulgence in sense-pleasures and the shadow of death
falls on life more and more but he does not see it approaching. He who cannot
see the approaching death by getting engrossed in sense-pleasures is the king of
the land of ignorance. (13:747-753).

Intoxicated by life he remains without care about
the approaching old age. During youth he does not understand what would be his
condition when he would become old. (13:754). Such a person is really ignorant.
When he sees a lame or a bent person he mocks him but he does not think that he
too is going to reach the same condition. And even when he attains old age which
is the sign of approaching death delusion about his own youth does not leave
him. Understand that such a person is without doubt an abode of ignorance.
(13:760-763).

He who remains carefree when the enemy sleeps
thinking that enmity is now over perishes along with his family. In the same way
he does not bother about falling ill in future as long as his appetite and sleep
are good and he is not ill at present. And in the company of his wife and
children and growing affluence which intoxicates him he does not see that he is
going to be separated one day from his sons etc. and his wealth. He who cannot
see this future sorrow is ignorant. (13:767-770).

Indulgence : And he who lets the sense-organs go astray without
restraint is also ignorant. In the prime of his youth supported by wealth he
indulges in all sorts of pleasures, whether proper or improper, does what should
not be done, longs for the impossible, and thinks about things he should not
think of. He enters where he should not, asks for what he should not take,
touches things which he should not touch and does all the things one should not
even think about. He goes to places where he should not go, sees what he should
not see, eats what he should not eat and feels satisfied in it instead. He keeps
company of those he should not, maintains relations with those he should not and
behaves in a manner he should not behave. He listens to what he should not and
blabbers about things about which he should not speak, but does not realise that
he will be get the blame for it. He does things which please the body and the
mind without thinking about their propriety. But the thought that it will result
in his committing sin or he will have to suffer in hell does not enter his mind.
Association with such a person leads to the spread of ignorance in the world to
such an extent that even sages get affected. (13:771-780).

Attachment to wife at the cost of
parents: Now listen to some more
characteristics. His attachment is totally towards his home and his wife and he
cannot get his mind away from them. (13:781-783). He loves his home like as
parents love an only child born in old age and he does not know anything other
than his wife whose body he worships without any thought about, "Who I am?" or
"What I should do?". Just as the mind of a great sage gets totally engrossed in
Brahman resulting in stoppage of the worldly actions, an ignorant person
surrenders himself completely to his wife and does not care for his losses,
public shame or slander. He keeps himself in her good books and dances to her
tunes. Like a greedy person toils for money even by hurting his friends and
relatives, he gives little to charity and does not do many righteous deeds. He
cheats persons from his family and clan but gives his wife plenty fulfilling all
her wants. He somehow manages to perform worship of his family deity and bluffs to
his Guru. He tells his parents excuses that there is not enough money to give to
them but brings various articles of pleasure and the best things he comes across
for his wife. He serves his wife with unstinted dedication like a devotee
lovingly devoted to his family deity. He gives the best and costly articles to
his wife but for other persons in the family he does not give enough even for
bare survival. If somebody gives improper looks to his wife or behaves with her
improperly he feels as if the end of the world has come. He satisfies her every
command. His wife is everything to him and he feels special love for children
born of her. Whatever things she possesses and her wealth are more valuable to
him than his own life. Such a person is the root of ignorance and it gains
strength from him. He is ignorance personified. (13:788-804).

Slave to pleasure and sorrows :
He reaches the height of happiness when he
gets the thing he likes and he sinks due to sorrow when he gets what he does not
like. One who worries because of favourable and unfavourable circumstances,
however highly intelligent he may be is in reality an ignorant person.
(13:805-806). He is devoted to me but that devotion is with a material objective
in mind. He makes a show of my devotion but keeps his sights on pleasures. If he
does not get them after being devoted to me, then he gives up the devotion
saying that the talk of God etc. is all lies. Like an ignorant peasant he sets
up different deities and after failing with one he goes to the next. He joins
that Guru tradition where there is a great pomp and show, receives Guru-mantra
from him and considers others as ordinary. He behaves cruelly with living
creatures but showers special love on a stone idol. But his love is not steady
in one single place. He makes my idol and installs it in one corner of the house
and himself he goes on pilgrimage to places of other deities. He offers devotion
towards his family deity and on auspicious occasions he worships other deities.
After installing me in the house he makes vows to other deities. On the day of
Shraddha he belongs to the forefathers. He worships cobras on Nagpanchami day as
much as he worships me on Ekadashi day. On Chaturthi day he becomes a devotee of
Ganapati and on Chaturdashi day he avers, " Oh Mother Durga, I am a devote of
only you." He leaves the daily rituals and incidental actions during Navaratri
and sits for the reading of Navachandi and on Sunday gives an offering of
Khichadi to the deity Bahiroba. Then on Monday he rushes to Shivalinga for
offering Bel leaves and thus he somehow manages the perform the worship ritual
of all deities. That devotee performs the worship ritual of all deities without
taking rest for a moment just like a prostitute who demonstrates her love for
all the people in the town. Such a devotee who every now and then rushes to
different deities is ignorance reincarnated. (13:810-823).

Dislikes quiet and holy places:
And he also is ignorant who feels
disgusted at the sight of quiet forests meant for penance, places of pilgrimage.
He who feels happy living in the town, likes to sit in a crowd and likes to
gossip is nothing but ignorant. (13:824- 825).

Prefers black arts to holy knowledge
: Such a person, who has only book-knowledge, ridicules at the real knowledge which
leads to Self-realisation. He does not look at Upanishads. He does not like the
science of yoga and his mind does not turn towards spiritual science. Breaking the
interest created by the intellect towards thoughts of the Soul, his mind
wanders here and there like a wayward cattle. He is clever in the ritualistic technique,
knows the Puranas by heart and he is such an expert astrologer that whatever
he predicts happens. He is skilled in sculpture and architecture and an expert in
culinary art. And he knows the mantras from Atharvaveda (Black magic, charm,
voodoo etc.). There is nothing more left for him to learn in the science of
love. He gives discourses on Mahabharata and other branches of knowledge stand
attentively before him in person. He is skilled in medicine and there is none
who is more well-versed than him. He discusses Smritis. He knows the secret of
snake-charming and he has mastery on the vocabulary of Vedas. He is expert in
grammar and learned in science of justice. But it is only regarding the knowledge of
the self that he is congenital blind. He may be considered as an authority on the
principles of every branch of science. But like a child born at an inauspicious time
(unlucky for his father) that is all in vain. Ignore him. (13:826-835).

Except for the spiritual science, all other
branches of knowledge are meaningless. Therefore Arjuna, remember that a person
with only book-knowledge is a fool who has not realised the Self. His body has
grown out of the seed of ignorance and his learning is a creeper of this
ignorance. Whatever he speaks is the flower of ignorance and whatever righteous
path he practices is the fruit of the ignorance too. Is there any need of
telling that one who does not believe in Knowledge of the Self has not
understood its meaning?. (13:839-843). How can a person who is not acquainted
with Knowledge of the Self can find its subject matter that is the Soul? One
need not make complicated arithmetic to tell that a person does not understand
the principles of Knowledge. (13:846-847).

Turn your back to ignorance The
characteristics of ignorance are contained in the eighteen characteristics of
knowledge I had explained to you earlier. earlier. The characteristics of
Knowledge when applied in reverse become the characteristics of ignorance.
(13:849-851).

Arjuna, turn your back to the characteristics of
ignorance which I have just told you and make a good and firm resolve regarding
Knowledge. By means of that pure Knowledge you will realise its object namely
the Brahman. (13:862-863).

OBJECT OF KNOWLEDGE

Now I shall tell you about the object of
Knowledge. Brahman is called the object of Knowledge because it cannot be
achieved by any means other than Knowledge and after it is attained there is
nothing left for the sage to be done further because the Knowledge unifies him
with itself. After its attainment the seeker gives up worldly matters and
remains immersed in the bliss of the Brahman. That Object is such that it has no
beginning and naturally it is called Supreme Brahman. If one goes to deny its
existence then one can see it in the form of the universe; and if one goes to
say that universe itself is the Supreme Brahman then it is illusion (Maya)
because it does not have form, colour or shape. Also it is not visible and
neither it can see. Then how can anyone say that it exists? And if its existence
is denied then wherefrom have the principles like Mahat etc. have sprung? The
speech becomes dumb because one cannot at all affirm or deny its existence and
even the thought about it cannot proceed further. Just as earth is seen in
the form of a pot similarly Brahman has taken the form of the universe and has
pervaded it throughout. (13:865-873).

It fills all places all the time and is not
different from place and time. The very actions performed by gross and subtle
things are its hands. Therefore Brahman has been called Vishwa-Bah
or hands of the universe because it inspires actions everywhere, all the time
and in all ways. And it is present everywhere at the same time therefore it is
called Vishwataspat i.e. having feet everywhere. Like the sun it
observes all forms by its light therefore even if it does not have eyes, Vedas
have cleverly called it Vishwachakshu or eyes of the universe. It
is present always and everywhere on everyone's head therefore it is called
Vishwamurdha or intellect of the universe. The form of fire is its
mouth because it accepts all things through the fire therefore Vedas have called
Brahman as Vishwatomukh or mouth of the universe. And its ears
engulf all sounds just as space engulfs all objects and it is because of this
that we call Brahman as "one which listens everywhere". It is because of its
all- pervasiveness that this simile has been used otherwise how can one speak in
terms of hands, feet, eyes etc. about something which is the essence of void or
nothing?. How can there be the sense of pervader and pervaded in the Brahman
which is everywhere? But this differentiation had to be made in order to explain
what the Brahman is. Just as for indicating zero or nothing one writes a small
dot similarly to explain monism one has to use dualism. If this is not done then
all dialogue between Guru and disciple will stop. It is for this reason that it
has been customary to explain non-dualism using the language of dualism.
(13:874-890).

HOW BRAHMAN PERVADES OBJECTS

Now listen to how Brahman pervades objects which
are visible to the eyes. (13:891). That Brahman appears to be in all objects
(like for example the water or liquid principle which occurs in water).
(13:895). Because of the shape of the pot the sky appears to be round or because
a hut is rectangular, the sky also looks rectangular but the sky does not have
any shape, round or rectangular. Similarly though objects have attributes the
Brahman which pervades them does not have attributes. That Brahman appears to be
like mind and other organs or like the three attributes but just as sweetness of
jaggery does not lie in the shape of its block the mind and attributes are not
real Brahman. (13:898-901). In plain words it is different from the mind and the
attributes. The relations between name and form and the differences in duties
for different castes are applicable to the form and not to the Brahman. Brahman
is not the same as attributes, and it is not related to attributes but there is
an illusion of their appearing in it. (13:904-907). Therefore the ignorant think
that the attributes belong to the Brahman. The attributeless Brahman holds the
attributes without any relation with them but that is only an illusion and not
real. Therefore one should not mention attributes in relation to the Brahman.
(13:910-912).

Same Brahman pervades all Though
Brahman exists in all moving and non-moving objects it is the same entity. That
which is indestructible and pervades the entire universe is the Object-to-be
Known. That which is inside the body as well as outside, is near as well as far
and is unique without duality, totally pervades everything. (13:913-915). Its
pervasion is as a single entity without break in all four types of beings namely
born through sex, eggs, sweat and seeds. It is also the cause of the creation of
the universe. (13:917,920). Therefore just as the waves are supported by the
sea, so is the universe supported by Brahman. At the time of creation we call it
Brahmadeo, during sustenance we properly call it Vishnu and when the universe
dissolves we call it Rudra. And when all the three attributes vanish we call it
cipher (zero). And that which swallows the nothingness of space and destroys the
three attributes is the great cipher as agreed by Upanishads.
(13:921-926).

Brahman - the basic principle in all
principles That Brahman is the igniting principle in the fire, nectar of
life the moon provides to the plants and the power of sight by which the sun
oversees the affairs of the world. The galaxies of stars brighten by its light
and by its brightness the sun easily spreads in the universe. It is the root of
the origin, growing of the growth, intelligence of the intellect and life-force
of life. It is mental power of the mind, vision of the eyes, hearing of the
ears, power of speech of the tongue, vitality of life-force, feet of the motion,
activity of the action. Formation, growth and destruction occur by its power.
The five principles earth, water, air, fire and space derive their
characteristics from it. In short all objects appear in the universe because of
it and actually everything is Brahman and no duality exists. Once it is
experienced, the seer and the seen, The means and the end become one and the
difference between Knowledge, the object of the knowledge and the Knower
vanishes. One cannot speak of duality in the context of that which exists
in the heart of all. (13:927-939)

Thus I have made clear to you what Field is. Also
I explained to you what Knowledge is. Thus I discussed the characteristics of
ignorance and now I have explained to you what Object-to-be-known is by
analytical reasoning. (13:940-943).

Easiest method to attain me Arjuna,
my devotees come to me longing for my attainment after thinking about all these
things. By giving up the attachment to the body they concentrate their mind and
feelings on me. These devotees, after they know me take me in exchange for their
ego and thus become one with me. I have thus planned the easiest method for
being one with me. (13:944-947).

PURUSH AND PRAKRITI (SANKHYA)

Arjuna, if I had merely told you that Soul is
everywhere then you would not have believed it. Therefore considering that you
are dull-witted I explained to you the same Brahman in four parts. Considering
your ability to concentrate I divided the Brahman into four parts namely the
Field, Knowledge, Object-to-be-known and Ignorance. If even after this you have
not understood my explanation then I shall explain the same thing to you in
another way. Instead of dividing into four parts I shall divide into only two
parts namely Soul and Non-soul (Purush and Prakriti). Listen to it.
(13:949-955).

I shall tell you about the two parts Prakriti and
Purush. Yogis call this path "Sankhya". To explain it I have incarnated as
Kapil. Listen to the pros and cons of it. (13:957- 959).

Purush is without beginning and so is Prakriti and
they are both stuck to each other like day and night or like a shadow to a form.
What I explained to you as Field must be understood here as Prakriti and the
Knower of the Field is the same as Purush. Even if the names are different the
principles to which they refer are the same. (13:960-964). Purush is the power
and Prakriti is the one which causes all actions to take place. Intellect,
organs and mind etc. which are responsible for feelings and passions and the
three attributes Sattva, Raja and Tama, all arise from Prakriti and are the
cause of creation of Karma. (13:966-968).

Creation of Ego. Desire and intellect first create
ego in Prakriti and make the individual involved in some cause. The procedures
used for achieving a desired object is called action. When desire becomes strong
it activates the mind and makes it gets the tasks done through the organs and
that is what is called the effect of the Prakriti. Therefore Prakriti is the
root of the action, cause and effect. When the trio comes together the Prakriti
becomes active but the nature of its actions is governed by the three
attributes. The action in which the Sattva attribute predominates is a good
righteous action. That which is takes place due to Raja attribute is a medium or
mixed type of action and that which takes place due to Tama attribute is a
prohibited and unrighteous action. The good and bad actions thus occur due to
Prakriti and gives rise to pleasure and pain respectively. This pleasure and
pain are experienced by the Purush. As long as this pleasure and pain appears
real the Prakriti remains busy in creating them and the Purush in experiencing
them. The affairs of this couple Prakriti and Purush are strange. Whatever the
wife earns the husband enjoys without himself making any efforts. This couple
does not come together and yet Prakriti the wife gives birth to this universe.
(13:969-980).

Actionless Purush and Gunamayi
Prakriti: He who is without form (body) and actionless (cripple), without
attributes (wealth), unique and older than the oldest of the objects is called
Purush. Nothing can be said about whether he is female or a neuter. He does not
have eyes, ears, hands, feet, form, colour and name. He has no organs. Such is
the husband of Prakriti who has to experience pain and pleasure. Though he is
actionless, unattached and non-indulgent, the Prakriti makes him experience the
pain and pleasure. This Prakriti uses her form and attributes to create a
strange drama therefore the Prakriti is called Gunamayi or one having
attributes. She ever takes a new form every moment and its vitality makes even
the passive objects active. Because of her names are assigned, love is felt and
sense-organs are able to sense. She makes mind even though it is neuter (cannot
create anything?), to wander in the three worlds. Such is her capability.
(13:981-990).

Play of Prakriti: This Prakriti which is like a big island of illusion and
which extends everywhere, creates emotions. Passions are fostered with her
support. Delusion blooms because of her. She is known as divine Maya.
(13:991-992).

She makes the language grow, creates this material
world, and ceaselessly invades it with materialistic way of life. All arts and
skills are born of her. Desires, knowledge and actions are created from her. All
the tunes and sounds are minted out by her. She is the home of miracles. In fact
everything that happens in the world is her play. The creation of the world and
its dissolution are her morning and evening respectively. She is thus the
wonderful illusionist. (13:993-996).

She is the mate of the lonely Purush, companion of
the unattached (Brahman) and she resides in the void. Her capability is so high
that she keeps the uncontrollable Purush under control. Actually the Purush is
not attached to anything but this Prakriti becomes everything for him. She
becomes the creation of the self- born, form of the formless Purush and his very
existence and base. (13:997-1000).

Illusion of attributes Thus, by her
strength Prakriti creates passions in that dispassionate Purush and his
effulgence wanes like that of the moon on the new moon day. (13:1005-1008). Once
the Purush surrenders to the Prakriti its brightness vanishes and he has to
experience the effect of the attributes. By association with her he has to
suffer the impact of birth and death. When moonlight is reflected in moving
water, people see many reflections and feel that there are many moons. Similarly
by association with attributes it appears as if the birthless Purush takes birth
but that is not true. Just as a Sanyasi sees in his dream that he is born in a
Shudra caste similarly the Purush feels that he has taken birth in a low or high
caste but that is not true and therefore the Purush does not have to experience
the effects of Karmas. It only appears to him so because of the association with
the attributes. (13:1014-1021).

Purush is beyond Prakriti Prakriti
has the support of the Purush but there is a vast difference between the two.
This Purush is on the bank of the river that is Prakriti and though his
reflection is in the river it is not carried away by the current. Prakriti is
created and is dissolved but Purush is eternal. Therefore he controls everything
right from Brahmadeo downwards. Prakriti exists because of him and by his power
alone she creates the world therefore he is the Lord of Prakriti. The world
which has been going on since endless past dissolves in him at the end of the
aeon. He is the Lord of the great Brahman that is the Prakriti. He controls the
whole universe and envelops it entirely by his expanse. Really speaking he is
the Supreme Soul which is said to exist in the body. (13:1022-1029).

One who understands that this Purush is one and
the only one and all the actions and attributes belong to the Prakriti, that
Purush and Prakriti are like the form and the shadow or like water and mirage,
may be considered as having understood the difference between Purush and
Prakriti. Even if he performs action by virtue of possessing a body, does not
get tainted by them. He does not feel attachment to his body while he lives and
when he dies is not reborn. In this unworldly way the understanding of the
difference between Purush and Prakriti becomes favourable to him. There are many
ways by which this understanding will arise in your heart. Listen.
(13:1030-1036).

PURIFICATION OF THE INDIVIDUAL

Some people purify gold that is the Soul (which is
tainted by attributes) in the fire of thought by coating it with layers of
listening, pondering and longing for it, and burning away the impurity of the
worldly attributes. By burning the thirty-six impure principles they separate
away the pure Soul and see it by the eyes of meditation within themselves. Some
meditate on it using the principles of Sankhya philosophy or by the philosophy
of action and attain liberation. (13:1037-1040).

Thus people adopt different ways to get safely out
of this whirlpool of life and death. But there are others who by ridding
themselves of pride keep faith in Guru's words. They listen attentively and
respectfully to whatever the Guru says and offer themselves and all their
possessions to the him. Guru cares about what is good and bad for them, feels
for their miseries and mitigates them, makes them feel relaxed and happy by
inquiring after them. They keep aside all their work in order to be able to hear
his words and are prepared to sacrifice their life for him. Such people also
finally cross the ocean of the birth-death cycles. Thus in this world of mortals
there are many ways to experience the Supreme Soul. I shall present you with the
cream of the philosophy of these methods. (13:1041-1050).

INTERACTION OF FIELD AND THE KNOWER

The entire world is created from the mutual
interaction of the "Field" and the "Knower of the Field" both of which I
explained to you. (13:1051-1052). All the movable and immovable things and the
entity which we call "Jiva" or "life" is created out of the union of these two.
Therefore materials or persons are not different from Purush.
(13:1055-1056).

Even though cloth is not same as thread it is made
of it. In the same way one should see by insight the sameness between Purush and
the material world i.e. the Prakriti. You should experience the fact that all
creatures are different forms of the same entity and they are basically the
same. Their names are different, their behaviour also is different and they
appear different outwardly but if by these considerations you sustain in your
mind the idea that they are all different then you will not escape from this
birth and death cycles in a million years. Individuals may have crooked shapes
but the Soul is straight. Even though there are piles of lives the soul inside
all of them is same. The physical appearance of individuals is illusive and
destructible but the souls inside all of them is indestructible. Thus, he who
understands that soul is not different from the individual but does not possess
the attributes of the individual is the man of vision among all men of Knowledge
and the most fortunate of men. (13:1057-1068).

MAN OF KNOWLEDGE IS LIBERATED WHILE IN
BODY

This body made up of the five principles and full
of wind, biles and phlegm is like a horrible bag full of the three attributes
and the organs. It is plainly a scorpion with five sting-tails. It is burning in
five types of fire and in this cage of the body that is the lion that is the
individual is entrapped. Even though the body is like this the soul is
indestructible. Arjuna, only a man of Knowledge does not harm himself even
though he lives in the body and ultimately reaches the state of the Brahman. To
attain that state, yogis by the power of their knowledge of yoga, cross millions
of births and leave their body deciding that they will not be reborn. The
Supreme Brahman which is beyond the name and form and is in the realm of
vibrations (sound) is the final resting place of all destinations including that
of liberation. He who does not permit ideas of differences between individuals
due to their external differences in appearance experiences the bliss of the
Brahman while he is still alive in his body. Just as same light emanates from
different lamps the soul pervades everything right from the beginning. Arjuna,
he who has this outlook of equality is not caught in the throes of birth-death
cycles. He is very fortunate and I sing his praises often because he looks at
everything with eyes of equality. (13:1069-1079).

And he fully knows that it is Prakriti which
causes actions through mind, intellect, the five sense-organs and five organs of
action. (13:1080). That Prakriti aided by the three attributes sets up different
kinds of acts in the light of the Soul but the soul itself remains steady and
unaffected by it. He who has decided that this is so has realised the Soul.
(13:1082-1083).

Even otherwise Arjuna, he who sees unity in the
diverse shapes of living beings, consider him as having attained Brahman.
(13:1084). When one is certain in his mind that all creatures are created from
the same Soul, then it can be said that he has found the boat that is the wealth
of the Brahman (for crossing the ocean of birth and death cycles). Everywhere he
casts his eyes he sees all is full of Brahman. He attains endless bliss. Thus
you should completely know by experience the arrangement of Prakriti and Purush.
The benefit you have gained is similar to an opportunity to gargle with nectar.
(13:1087-1090). Now I am going to tell you one or two more profound ideas.
(13:1092)

SOUL LIVES IN BODY AS A PROJECTION

What is known by the name Supreme Soul, even
though it exists in the body, always remains in its pure state. (13:1094).
Actually it is not correct to say that Soul resides in the body. The soul is
said to be in the body in the same way as when one looks at one's face in the
mirror and say it is his face. It is totally meaningless to say that soul is
related to the body. (13:1096- 1098). Body is strung in the thread of the five
principles and it rotates in the wheel of birth and death. This body is like a
ball of butter inserted in the mouth of the fire that is Time. It vanishes in
the short span of time that a fly takes to flutter its wings. If he falls in
fire it turns to ashes and if it falls prey to a dog then it turns to fecal
matter. If it escapes these two then a bunch of worms is created in it. Thus the
body comes to a disgusting end. Though the body reaches this fate the soul
is eternal, self-illuminating, self-sufficient and beginningless.
(13:1103-1107).

Because it is without attributes it is neither
without phases nor can it be said that it has phases. It is neither active nor
without action, neither fat nor thin, neither visible nor invisible, neither
bright nor dull neither less nor much. Because it is a void it is neither full
nor empty. It is in no way without company nor it has company. It is neither
shapeless nor does it have shape. Since it has the form of self it has neither
bliss nor sorrow. It is neither one nor many. It is neither free nor bound. It
is without characteristics it is neither this much nor that much, neither
ready-made nor prepared, neither able to speak nor dumb. It is not born along
with the creation of the universe and does not get destroyed when it gets
destroyed. It is the place of dissolution of being and not being. It is
dimensionless therefore it cannot be measured or described. It neither grows nor
diminishes, fades or gets exhausted. Such is the nature of the Soul. It is
unbroken therefore it neither takes the form of the body nor rejects it but
remains as it was. Just as days and nights occur in the sky so are bodies
acquired and given up by this soul. Therefore he does not do anything in the
body nor cause it to be done nor does it get involved in any of the affairs of
the body. But nothing happens to its nature. Not only that, even though it is in
the body it is unattached to it. Though Soul is in all bodies it does not get
stained by its characteristics. I am telling you again and again to take into
consideration the characteristics of the Soul that the Knower of the Field is
different from the Field. (13:1108-1119, 1121-1122).

A magnet by its proximity moves iron but iron is
not the same as magnet. The same principle is applicable to the Soul and the
body. There is fire hidden inside wood but wood is not fire, and Soul has to be
viewed in the same way. Just as the sun is alone in the sky but illuminates the
whole world in the same way the Soul illuminates all the living bodies.
(13:1123-1128)

The intellect which understands the difference
between the Field and the Knower of the Field is the intellect with real sight.
It alone can assimilate the essence of the meaning of the words. It is for
understanding the difference between the Field and the Knower of the field that
the wise persons frequent the abodes of sages. It is for that alone that the
intellectuals acquire the valuable peace and study Shastras. It is for that
knowledge that men practice yoga with high aspiration. And some people by taking
the body and other worldly matters insignificant respectfully serve the saints.
Thus they shed their worries by following different paths of knowledge. I
surrender my knowledge to the knowledge of those who understand the difference
between the Field and Knower of the Field. (13:1129-1135)

And they know the real nature of this Prakriti or
Maya which is spread everywhere in different forms and manifestations like the
five principles. (13:1136). Those who are convinced in their heart that Prakriti
is different from the Purush have attained Brahman. (13:1140). The Brahman is
more extensive than sky, it is the outer border of Prakriti and after attaining
it the feelings of similarity or dissimilarity vanish. Shape, feeling of being
alive and duality vanish in It and it remains as one and only one Supreme
Principle. This Supreme Principle is attained by those who understand that the
Purush and Prakriti are different. (13:1140-1143).